From Corporate to Artisan

I’m always a little hesitant eating a cheese that has added flavors to it. I usually find the cheese to be underwhelming in both taste and quality.

Well, the boys at the Beehive Cheese Company prove me wrong…way wrong. Pat Ford and Tim Welsh (brothers-in-law!) have quickly made a name for themselves in the cheese world. Back in 2005, both Pat and Tim decided to leave the fast-paced world of software and real estate and seek a simpler (and cheesier) way of life.

The boys traded in their commutes and laptops for quiet pre-dawn mornings sitting with 500 gallons of farm-fresh milk carefully mixing and warming it for hours to develop their unique cheese. Pat and Tim quickly fell in love with the natural rhythms of making cheese the old fashioned way. The long days of polishing their recipe and the months spent waiting with an artisan’s patience for wheels to ripen to perfection have made Beehive Cheese some of the best in America. The Beehive Cheese Company is one of the only artisan cheese makers in Utah!

The Beehive boys only use Jersey cows milk in all of their cheeses. So what? Jersey cows, despite their small size, produce milk with the highest protein and fat content. Higher fat and protein means the milk is creamier (a.k.a. more delicious!)

Promontory.

The patriarch of the Beehive family! A relatively young Irish-style cheddar with buttery, full-bodied texture and snappy, citrus-like fruit notes. Pairs great with full-bodied reds, ales and IPAs. Try Promontory in your next grilled cheese, mac ‘n cheese or simply with apples and honey.

Awards

1^st place at the American Cheese Society: 2011

Bronze Medal at World Cheese Awards: 2010

Barely Buzzed.

A true American original! The Beehive boys start with Colorado Legacy Fine Coffee beans and French Superior lavender buds. Next? The two premium ingredients are freshly ground onsite, diluted with oil to suspend the dry ingredients in the rub. The result? Rubbing the cheese produces notes of butterscotch and caramel near the rind, which find their way to the center of the cheese.

Pair with medium to full-bodied wines, ports, ales, stouts and ciders. A great match with fresh fruit or charcuterie.

Awards

1^st place at the American Cheese Society: 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011

3^rd place at the American Cheese Society: 2012

SeaHive.

Hand-rubbed with local honey and Redmond RealSalt, SeaHive is a beautifully balanced treat. A full-bodied cheese with a smooth, creamy texture—a true expression of the local flavors, superior quality and creativity! RealSalt is harvested from an ancient sea bed near Redmond, Utah! Great with hoppy ales or fruity white wines, and perfect shaved on salads and soups.

Awards

3^rd place at the American Cheese Society: 2011

TeaHive.
The newest member of the family! The soothing qualities of tea and the relaxing properties of bergamot combine to produce a lovely cheese with rich fragrances of orange blossoms.  The creaminess of the cheese is an immediate delight and the complexities of the tea-rubbed rind continue through the finish. Pair with fruit-forward wines, pilsners or chocolaty stouts. Try with savory scones, biscuits or marmalade!

Awards

1^st place at the American Cheese Society: 2012

Please join us for "Fromage with Friends" as American Cheese Month continues this Saturday from 12p-3p. We'll have all four BeeHive Cheeses for you to taste...which will be your favorite?

My Romance in Raleigh

I kind of feel like I’ve been on a string of dates with Raleigh. When I first met her, I was a little nervous, not quite sure what I thought and just hoping for the best.

But so far, she’s shown me a great time. Downtown Raleigh is full of life! Boutique shops have opened up left and right, eateries to keep you full for days on end, the craft beer movement is incredibly present here (there’s even a craft beer tasting bar/store), and there’s a great sense of pride among all the Raleighites for their city that’s almost contagious. Parts of Raleigh seem to be a little behind the rest of the scene, but read some of the blogs online and they all say to give the up-and-coming city a few more years. It does seem like Raleigh has a bright future ahead of it.

Seeing that I’m always wearing khakis at Shubie’s, you probably don’t know that I love jeans. A great pair of jeans is worth it to me (like a great bottle of wine for some of you). So I happen to come across The Raleigh Denim Co (no, seriously, I walked right by it without knowing it existed!). They actually make raw denim right on site. Raw denim is denim that has never been washed or treated with anything, so basically it’s up to you how it ages. It’s recommended to go swimming in the ocean, run in the rain, find some mud, etc…and not wash them for 3-6 months! Raw denim is a little tougher at first, but it’s up to you to break it in.

A few blocks up I stumbled upon Feelgoodz, a flip-flop company. Feelgoodz makes flip flops out of totally recyclable and biodegradable materials, using natural dyes and are ethically sourced. Cool company, cool idea, cool product (you should check it out).

The restaurant scene is booming in Raleigh. Each restaurant takes great strides to use fresh, local produce, eggs and meat. You can taste the difference. The beef all seems so much more tender and flavorful, the fruits and veggies all bursting with flavors. I’ve been fortunate enough to eat at four of Raleigh’s best restaurants, and each one shined in their own way; truly demonstrating fresh, quality ingredients is all you need. (I even had fish tacos, but they couldn’t rival Chef Lynne’s). I've dined at the following (feel free to email me or stop in and ask me about my meals if you want more details!):

• Gravy (where I met my rockstars of cheese)
• Battistella's (my favorite!)
• Capital Club 16 (great sandwiches)
• Dos Taquitos Centro (awesome atmosphere and margaritas)

After a few days with Raleigh, I’m getting used to her and she’s been taking me to all the right spots. I feel more comfortable and don’t even need Google Maps any more to guide me (my dad won’t believe that one!). But it’s true! I’ve also totally enjoyed all the service at each restaurant. Each server and bartender (two bartenders know my name already—not sure if that’s good or bad) is so attentive and genuinely seems to care to make sure I’ve had an exceptional experience, which is something I always appreciate.

When I was at Raleigh’s very own chocolate factory, Videri (I’ll get to that tomorrow in my blog), the tour guide said, “I’ve lived in Raleigh my whole life and it just keeps getting better and better.”

Would I be ready to move in with Raleigh, so to speak? I don’t know if I could live here permanently (it’s a little too hot), but after my inaugural visit, I’d gladly come back and visit her (and eat and drink my way through…who’s with me…first round is on me)!

Your Foodie Friend,

Dougy

Doesn't Happen Often

David (top), Cary (bottom)

I'm not one to get startstruck that easily. Seeing Maya Rudolph, David Spade, Maria Bello and the rest of the cast of "Grown Ups 2"during the filming this summer has definitely been fun, but I wouldn't say it has left me speechless.

But last night while out to dinner, I didn't meet one rockstar. Not two. Not even three. I MET FOUR ROCKSTARS. Of the cheese world that is (were you expecting someone else--I'm at the cheese show after all)! I'm sitting at the bar, enjoying a drink, and a group of four comes up next to me to grab a drink while waiting for their table.

I first noticed David Gremmels--co owner of Rogue Creamery (a.k.a. home to the Best Cheese in the Country for the last two years!!!). I didn't know what to do. Then I notice, Cary Bryant (other co-owner of Rogue), Sue Conley (co-owner of Cowgirl Creamery) and Kurt Dammeier (owner of Beecher's of Seattle). HOLY CRAP!

Do I introduce myself? Do I buy them a drink? Do I leave them alone? Well I didn't have long to think because Kurt turns to me and says, "Excuse me, do you live here? What do you call someone from Raleigh?"

"Great," I thought to myself, "he just had to ask me something I didn't know."

Kurt

I could feel myself getting nervous, my mouth getting dry, I could feel myself perspiring like a wheel of gouda that's been left out too long, but I somehow managed to spit out, "A Raleighite? That's just a guess. I'm not from here," pretty smooth, Dougy. (And Raleighite is the correct answer I found out later!).

Sue

I told them I was here for the cheese show and that I obviously knew they were here for the same reason. I felt like I was sitting next to cheese royalty. You might be thinking I'm overreacting here, but these four have changed the way cheese is made and enjoyed in this country. I grew up hearing about these four legends, I would read about them in trade magazines. These four people and their cheeses started the American artisan cheese movement. It doesn't happen often, but I was near speechless.

Is there such a thing as a cheese groupie??

When in Raleigh...

So I'm back at the Annual American Cheese Society's Conference! My brother and I ate more cheese than a human probably should in three and a half days at last year's conference in Montreal.

This year I'm on my own in Raleigh, North Carolina. So far I'm diggin' it, too!

Although this is considered a working trip, it's a great chance to get away from the daily grind that I usually face and, I guess, refresh myself. So needless to say that when I woke up this morning to a string of frustrating emails it's not how I envisioned my first morning in Raleigh.

At the Farmers Market!

But thank goodness for the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market! As soon as I decided to ignore my phone and walk to the weekly showing of artisan cheeses (a few more on display than usual in honor of the cheesiness this week!), fresh produce, meats and baked goods, I instantly felt better! How the heck couldn't I have?! (The triple chocolate chunk cookie I picked up from a local baker for breakfast also probably helped).

There was just a plethora of fresh, local and good food with happy people, live music...all eating, too! Definitely my kind of scene. People in Raleigh just seem happier, too--they're so nice it's hard not to smile! I first stopped (after I got my cookie) at a stand that only had products made from their 5,000 blueberry bushes! Not just your typical blueberry jam, but blueberry juice, syrup and even salsa (which was intriguingly sweet and spicy). The farms owner had her nine-year old son helping her, who proudly offered me a taste of his family's salsa (kind of reminded me of myself when I was nine and working in the store!).

Never too early for beer and cheese!

Then, somehow I migrated to the local beer and cheese pairing (funny how that works). Unfortunately, I found the cheese to be underwhelming in flavor, but am anxious to give Raleigh's cheeses another try later in the week. Since we've been on the craft beer craze at the store, I'm all about the beer now. And Raleigh definitely makes some tasty ales. A couple standouts have been Mother Earth Brewing's Sisters of the Moon (an intense hop aroma and bitterness with a mouthful of flavor) and Lonerider's Sweet Josie (an American Brown style balancing bitter hops with chocolate and aromatic malts).

The line for the grilled cheese competition...
worth the wait!

And you'll never guess what they had at the Farmers Market?? A GRILLED CHEESE COMPETITION! Seven of the area's best chefs created the best grilled cheese they could and put it on display for all to try and vote! Keep in mind that about twenty minutes before I had a goat cheese, speck, fig and balsamic grilled cheese from a grilled cheese truck, so I was ready for this! 

Hard not to be happy here!

After my fill of grilled cheese I walked around downtown Raleigh for a bit, which seems to be developing into quite the city with lots of eateries, bars and pubs and fun shops. I have to admit, I started my day in a disappointing corporate way, but thanks to the good people of Raleigh (and a little grilled cheese), I think I'm ready for the Rally in Raleigh (the cheese rally, duh!).

Your foodie friend,

Dougy

A Story of "Inspiration" for the Fourth of July

Stan Biasini and Debora Wickart needed to change something.

The economy in 2009 was not doing well and the carpet laying business that they owned in Vermont was not getting much business. Stan and Debora had a small herd of cows but they knew that they could not survive by milking the cows with milk prices dropping so low. Even if Stan and Debora wanted to be dairy farmers, there was no way to financially gain at it. The last ten years were stifling for many American dairy farm owners with 40% of all dairy farms going out of business due to falling milk prices and the rising costs of animal feed and fuel.

During such harsh times, it is fascinating to see how Stan and Debora changed their business focus in three years, partnering their passions into the now growing business of Mt. Mansfield Creamery. Stan, also a trained chef, discovered that he loved cheesemaking and studied with the legendary Cheesemaker Peter Dixon and on his own. Debora grew up in Morrisville Vermont and tends and milks the registered Holsteins and Brown Swiss cows that are used in Mt. Mansfield's cheeses. Stan attributes the rich quality of the cheese they produce to the high quality of their milk. Stan and Debora have converted the old United Farmers Creamery building in Morrisville into their cheesemaking and cave aging facility. They also send their milk to St. Alban's Dairy Cooperative. Stan and Debora made 400 pounds of cheese in 2009, this year they plan to make 9600 pounds.

Mt. Mansfield Creamery cow's milk cheeses are known for their complex and nutty, buttery flavors and thin edible rind. Stan suggests leaving all of their cheeses out for an hour or two before serving to soften them up and give the flavors time to release.

Inspiration, a washed rind Corsican-style alpine cheese is washed in local ales. The batch Shubie's will be selling this weekend is washed in Burly Irish Ale from Vermont Pub and Brewery. Inspiration is similar in texture to a camembert-style cheese with 44% moisture and a very thin, edible rind. The cheese, aged at least 70 days is nutty and earthy. Inspiration is a great pair with craft beers. An amazing feat for a new cheese maker, Mt. Mansfield Creamery's Inspiration won second place in the category of Farmstead Cow Milk (Non-pasteurized) at the 2011 American Cheese Society competition.

Chin Clip is an Austrian-style pressed cheese. It has a simple, salty, buttery flavor. Aged four to five months and washed in wine pressings from a local vineyard, it was created to be the perfect accompaniment to red wine.

Half-Pipe is a high-moisture, complex French Alpine Cheese, aged five months and dry-brushed to keep the rind thin and edible. The flavors really come out when melted and Stan suggests trying it on a burger, fondue or a panini. Stan is not only a rug layer, Chef and Cheesemaker - he  is also a snowboard instructor and named Inspiration and Chin Clip after slopes on Mt. Mansfield, and Half-pipe after the Snowboard ramp. To learn more about Mt. Mansfield Creamery, please visit www.mtmansfieldcreamery.com.


Shubie's is proud to support this local dairy business and bring you three of Mt. Mansfield Creamery's cheeses this weekend.

All About Kombucha

My blogging has been very lax lately – sorry! Like me, I’m sure many of you would agree that there are simply not enough hours in the day to get everything done. I wish I could share all the new ideas, products, events and more that we’ve been working on at Shubie’s with all of you, and I’m hoping to do so more often now.

I was doing some product research recently for new beverages to offer and came across a local kombucha company, Katalyst Kombucha, which we now offer on our shelves. I only knew kombucha as that drink that got pulled off the shelves because it may contain alcohol (studies support that only minute quantities of alcohol exist, about 1%). That was it.

After a little more investigating, I realized that there is much more to kombucha than I thought. There was almost a cult-like feeling surrounding kombucha. People are either absolutely in love with (or are borderline addicted to) the fermented drink and believe in the health benefits associate with the elixir; or they seem to think it’s just another foodie fad that’s received a lot of hype.

So what exactly is kombucha? Kombucha’s roots go back centuries; as far back as the Tsin Dynasty in China in 221 BC, where it was known as the “Tea of Immorality.” Kombucha is a living health drink made by fermenting tea and sugar. To make it, brewers rely on what’s called a starter—a bit of already fermented tea, referred to as “the mother.” Once the mother is added to sweetened tea and allowed to sit in a glass jar unrefrigerated for 7 to 14 days, a glop known as a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast grows over the surface.

The result? An effervescent elixir said to restore health, promote longevity and give mental clarity. Much of the current hype for kombucha surrounds the fact that it contains probiotics, which is believed to benefit digestion and boost the immune system. I couldn’t wait to get our first order from Katalyst Kombucha in and try this “super drink.” Would it be the answer to my frustrations?

Some told me I wouldn’t like it, that it smells like pickled cabbage, it’s weird, etc. When our order arrived, I immediately picked up a bottle of Katalyst’s Ginger Devotion (made with organic and local ginger) and examined the bottle a little. Little strands were floating at the bottom. After further investigation (and reading the bottle), I found out that the little strands are actually the culture and are totally normal, natural and are actually an important visual to look for when buying kombucha. After all, kombucha is a raw food.

I took a sip and reflected on what I had just tried. It was curiously tart (and zippy from the ginger) and I loved it. Now, call me crazy, but I seriously felt more energized after my first bottle! Maybe it was adrenaline from all the hype – but maybe it was the kombucha!  

I will say that I have had a least 1-2 bottles of kombucha a day for over the last week and I have certainly felt a boost in my energy levels. Healthier? Can’t say that I’ve noticed a difference yet, but I’ll let you know.

At the least, I encourage you to try a bottle and see what you think. Who knows, maybe you’ll even want to join the kombucha club! 

Your foodie friend,

Dougy